August 16, 2023
Page 5
Celebrating the Success of
First Micro-Village
Sleeping pods
and more act
as transitional
housing
Five formerly homeless and
vulnerable Portlanders have found
stable, permanent housing, thanks
to the new approach of a WeShine
micro-village. Volunteers, donors,
the board and church members
gathered Friday, Aug 11 at Park-
rose Community United Church
of Christ to learn about what’s
next. “Everyone has worked very
hard for this success,” says Janet
McManus, WeShine’s Executive
Director and Founder. “We’ve
learned a lot, but we also knew
that a 10-pod micro-village would
work well for our guests. Two
more villages are in the works.”
WeShine,
a
two-year-old
nonprofit started by neighbors
in Northeast Portland, opened
its first village a year ago with
space for 11 people, on property
owned by Parkrose Community
United Church in Christ.“We felt
compelled to act to help people.”
The Welcome Desk of Mt. Hood’s new Equity Center. Photo courte-
sy of Mt. Hood.
New Space Focuses on
Students Needs
This picture demonstrates the ways guests make the sleeping
pods feel like home! Photo courtesy of WeShinePDX.org
says Christine Tanner, chair of
the board. A micro-village is a
community of approximately 10
secure “sleeping pods” and three
small community buildings for
shared space, located in a neigh-
borhood close to transportation
and businesses. “Guests” can rest
safely, have access to hygiene
and meals, secure their belong-
ings, and learn healthy ways to
advocate for themselves and their
needs. In addition to the small
size and comprehensive services,
neighborhood engagement con-
tributes to the micro-village mod-
el’s success. Villagers must sign
Good Guest agreements, and the
village and neighborhood associ-
ations work together to develop a
Good Neighbor agreement.
“People living in the micro-vil-
lage learn the skills to be commu-
nity members,” says Ruin Riggs,
Service Resources Coordinator.
“I’ve seen people really blossom
and grow here.” WeShine fund-
ing comes from the Multnomah
County Joint Office of Home-
less Services WeShine designs,
builds, and operates neighbor-
hood-based micro-villages that
provide safe transitional shelter
and services, where Portland’s
vulnerable unsheltered adults can
live as they prepare to become
successful tenants in permanent
affordable housing.
Mt. Hood
Community
College Unveils
Planned Equity
Center
Mt. Hood Community Col-
lege’s (MHCC) student basic
needs team recently announced
plans for a new equity center, de-
signed to meet the needs of stu-
dents who are looking for a place
to relax, study, meet, eat, and ac-
cess resources. The equity center
will be built in the
for-
mer bookstore.
The project is a result of sever-
al key occurrences, including the
COVID-19 pandemic, which left
many students in a state of food
and housing insecurity and re-
vealed a need for more student re-
sources According to the MHCC
Student Basic Needs team, the
equity center will provide a range
of resources and support to stu-
dents. It will be a multi-faceted
space, featuring the food pan-
try, housing support, and other
resources such as laptops and
hotspots. The center will offer a
“living room” feel, making it a
comfortable place for students to
hang out, study, and socialize.
The location of the equity cen-
ter has been carefully chosen to
ensure it is easily accessible to
students. It is centrally-located di-
Continued on Page 11
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